TITLE 1.ADMINISTRATION

Part 10. DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION RESOURCES

Chapter 210. TEXASONLINE

1 TAC §210.1, §210.2

The Department of Information Resources (department) adopts on an emergency basis for one hundred twenty days new §210.1 concerning TexasOnline definitions and new §210.2 concerning profiling fees to be collected by state agency licensing entities participating in the electronic profiling system established by §2054.2606, Government Code.

Emergency adoption of the rules is necessary to enable the department to establish profile system fees by rule as soon as possible after January 1, 2002, so that affected state agency licensing entities may adopt, as soon as possible after January 1, 2002, increased licensing fees to cover the cost of the profile system, as required by Section 11(b), SB 187, 77th Legislature.

On February 20, 2002, the department's board approved both proposed rules for comment as proposed rules and adopted both rules on an emergency basis for one hundred twenty days.

The rules are adopted on an emergency basis pursuant to §2054.052(a), Government Code, which authorizes the department to adopt rules necessary to implement its responsibilities under the Information Resources Management Act, §2054.262(b), Government Code, which provides the department may adopt rules prepared by the TexasOnline Authority and §2054.2606(d), Government Code, which requires the TexasOnline Authority to prepare rules for adoption by the department to prescribe the amount of the fee to be collected by a state agency that establishes a profile system for its license holders pursuant to §2054.2606, Government Code. The new rules are also adopted on an emergency basis under §2001.034, Government Code, which provides for the adoption of administrative rules on an emergency basis without notice and comment.

§210.1. TexasOnline Definitions.

The following words and terms, when used in this chapter, shall have the following meanings unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

(1) Authority--the TexasOnline Authority created in Subchapter I, Chapter 2054, Texas Government Code.

(2) Board--the governing board of the Department of Information Resources.

(3) Department--the Department of Information Resources.

(4) Division--the TexasOnline division created by the department pursuant to §2054.264, Texas Government Code.

(5) License holder--individuals for whom and entities for which a profile system is required to be or may be established by state agency licensing entities.

(6) Licensing entity--a department, commission, board, office or other agency of the state or a political subdivision of the state that issues an occupational license.

(7) Occupational license--a license, certificate, registration or other form of authorization that a person must obtain to practice or engage in a particular business, occupation or profession.

(8) Profile system--an electronic system established by a licensing entity that is required by §2054.2606(a), Texas Government Code, or opts pursuant to § 2054.2602, Texas Government Code, to establish an electronic system containing at least the licensee information prescribed by §2054.2606(c), Texas Government Code.

(9) Profiling licensing entities--the state agencies listed in §2054.2606(a) and licensing entities that opt to provide a profile system pursuant to §2054.2606(b).

§210.2. TexasOnline License Holder Profile Fees.

(a) Each licensing entity identified in §2054.2606(a), Government Code that is required to establish a license holder profile system shall, by January 1, 2002, collect five dollars annually from license holders listed in §2054.2606(a), Government Code who are renewing a license. The five dollars per license holder renewal may be collected through increasing the license renewal fees by five dollars per license holder, by the licensing entity covering the five dollars per license holder renewal from other revenues rather than by increasing license renewal fees, or by a combination of increasing license renewal fees by less than five dollars per license holder and covering a portion of the five dollars per license holder from other revenues of the licensing entity. The money shall be transferred from the licensing entity to the department to cover the costs of providing the license holder profile system pursuant to guidelines established by the Office of the Comptroller of Public Accounts.

(b) Each state agency licensing entity that opts to establish a license holder profile system pursuant to §2054.2606(b), Government Code, shall collect five dollars annually per license renewal fee payable by each license holder about whom or which information is available through the profile system. The five dollar per year license renewal fee increases shall begin being collected by the licensing entity from affected license holders as soon as reasonably possible after the licensing entity determines to provide the license holder profile system.

This agency hereby certifies that the emergency adoption has been reviewed by legal counsel and found to be within the agency's legal authority to adopt.

Filed with the Office of the Secretary of State on February 25, 2002.

TRD-200201149

Renee Mauzy

General Counsel

Department of Information Resources

Effective Date: February 25, 2002

Expiration Date: June 25, 2002

For further information, please call: (512) 475-4750